Green Revolution, or Agricultural Disaster? A Statue in D.C. Rekindles the Debate

By

Jacob Bunge

Mar 25, 2014 5:19 pm ET

The latest flashpoint in the escalating debate over food production stands about seven feet tall and is made of bronze.

A statue of Iowan biologist Norman Borlaug, unveiled Tuesday in the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, showcases the roots of the current pitched battle over how the world should support its burgeoning population—a fight that pits agribusiness giants like Monsanto Co. and DuPont Co. against a web of consumer advocates, environmentalists and other critics of industrialized, high-tech farming.

Mr. Borlaug’s work from the 1940s to the 80s developing hardier seeds that yielded farmers more wheat came to be known as the “Green Revolution,” and earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970. It also provided a foundation for later strides in crop production, such as the advent of genetically engineered seeds in the 1990s, which proponents argue are a must if the planet is to support a projected 9.6 billion people in 40 years’ time, from the 7.2 billion estimated last year by the United Nations.